Friday 1st June 2018 below Guétin to Cours-les-Barres

Bridges - new on left and on right old canal to river crossing
before the lock and aqueduct were built

14.1ºC Overnight rain, grey skies, much cooler. Set off at 9.55am knowing we weren’t going far and wanting to arrive after the boats moored at our destination had left (we’d been for a drive to Cours the night before and there were two hireboats and an ex-hireboat there). No one else on the long quay at Guétin save the permanent moorers. 5 kms to our one lock of the day. The first hireboat from Cours went past just after we’d set off. Took photos of the old route to cross the Loire before they built the

Old lock house at 24 Laubray

aqueduct and Guétin staircase. Mike phoned the next lock, no reply so he had to leave a message. When lock 24 Laubray came into view we could see there was a young lady keeper working it – it was empty so she was filling it. Charming and chatty, she said she’d hadn’t had Mike’s message but knew we were coming as the keeper at Guétin had seen us set off and phoned her. She said there was another boat to come uphill so it was a toss-up as to who would arrive first. The second hireboat appeared as the lock was almost empty, so Mike hopped off (the

Top lock of the Givry branch (closed)

lock only had a 1.4m drop and there was a convenient ladder anyway) and gave her a hand by winding one gate open. Only 4kms to the mooring. Trees were still wet from the overnight rain and occasionally we had views to the east between them of the little hills of the Cote de Nivernais. An ex-hireboat with an Aussie flag called Joie de Vie went past heading uphill. Shortly after we arrived at the quay, one ex-hireboat, then a big gap with signs saying that the space was reserved for a boat called Anna-Maria IV who had regular four-

Moored at Cours-les-Barres

day stops on the quay – but the next was not until the 7th June and we’ll be gone on Monday. At the far end there were three “dead” boats. It was midday as we tied up. A campervan crossing the bridge behind us came to a stop and drove down on to the towpath then its crew came over to chat with Mike – they were Czech from Prague and delighted to see a narrowboat. Lunch then Mike decided to collect the car from Guétin while it’s not raining and in case we fancy a trip out over the weekend.  A sign on the bank

Prohibition notice at Cours

Flowers on the boat roof

forbids any DIY, no painting, drilling, etc, etc. Mike connected our power cable as there is free electricity and water here – might be able to catch up with the washing and the batteries are in dire need of a full charge.